The present invention relates to a manufacturing apparatus of a wire harness for automobile use.
FIG. 7 is a view showing an example of a wire harness for automobile use in which connectors are attached to both end portions of wires arranged in parallel to each other. At one end of this wire harness, which will be referred to as end A hereinafter, eight pieces of electric wires xe2x80x9caxe2x80x9d are connected to one connector C. At the other end of this wire harness, which will be referred to as end B hereinafter, four pieces of electric wires xe2x80x9caxe2x80x9d are respectively connected to two connectors C.
In order to enhance the working efficiency of connection, insulation displacement connection(pressure-contact connection) is applied to the means for connecting electric wire xe2x80x9caxe2x80x9d to connector C as shown in FIG. 8. This insulation displacement connection is conducted as follows. Electric wire xe2x80x9caxe2x80x9d is pushed downward by pressure-contact blade S and press-fitted into a groove 60 of pressure-contact terminal T provided in each connector C. When electric wire xe2x80x9caxe2x80x9d is press-fitted into the groove 60, a insulation cover 62 covering a conductor bundle 61 of electric wires xe2x80x9caxe2x80x9d is cut off at an end edge of the groove 60, so that the conductor bundle 61 is exposed outside. This conductor bundle 61 is contacted with pressure-contact terminal T. and at the same time, electric wires xe2x80x9caxe2x80x9d are held in the groove 60 by the spring-back action of pressure-contact terminal T. After electric wires xe2x80x9caxe2x80x9d have been press-fitted into pressure-contact terminal T, connector C is covered with terminal cover L as shown in FIG. 9, so that electric wires xe2x80x9caxe2x80x9d can be prevented from coming off.
In this connection, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication 10-241473 discloses an apparatus used for the above pressure-contact connection in which the pressure-contact terminals of the connector are positioned at pressing positions of the contact-pressure apparatus when the pallets, on which predetermined connectors are juxtaposed, are moved. In this apparatus, electric wires are manually supplied to the pressure-contact terminals and also the terminal cover is manually attached to the connector.
However, when the above apparatus is used, there is a possibility that the electric wires are mistakenly supplied and erroneous wiring is made. Further, it takes time to select the electric wires and attach the terminal cover. Therefore, it is impossible to improve the productivity.
The present invention is accomplished to solve the above problems. It is an object of the present invention to prevent the occurrence of erroneous electric wiring and enhance the productivity when the wire harness is manufactured.
In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a manufacturing apparatus of a wire harness in that: a pallet in which a plurality of connectors are juxtaposed is automatically positioned at a pressure-contact position; wiring of an electric wire in the pressure-contact terminal of the connector is automatically conducted; and a cover is automatically attached to a connector.
When a type, position and height of press-fitting of an electric wire into the pressure-contact terminal are controlled according to a program, and the operation and state are checked by sensors.